THE GREY AREA OF VANCOUVER’S HOUSING CRISIS

Increase in number of seniors on waitlists for housing in BC over the past seven years

70,990

Approximate number of BC seniors living in poverty

384%

Increase in number of homeless seniors (65+) from 2008 to 2017

6,000

Number of seniors (+55) on waitlists for housing in BC last year

Joseph LeBrie

BCIT News

82-year-old Joseph LeBrie dragged out a cockroach ridden deflated mattress, just off Hastings and Main Street in downtown Vancouver.

With one hand tucked to his stomach and the other injecting a pump into the air mattress, he struggled to use his foot to push air in it.

He planned on selling small items on it for a little extra cash, but without the use of his left hand due to a stroke 30 years ago, the task was more difficult. LeBrie says that the cost of being a senior is difficult, especially on a pension plan from his old tugboat and building days.

“They keep us just above the poverty level.” – Joseph LeBrie

Having lived homeless for just over a year before moving into sub-par housing, he said he is used to the routine of the Downtown Eastside.

“I’m just existing,” he said. “You know, getting by.”

He hopes he can get into better housing. That, or run away to South America.

“I got a letter from BC Housing a week ago to renew my application,” LeBrie says. It’s to update his name that currently sits on a social housing waitlist.

He’s one in 6,000 seniors waiting on it.

After waiting for three and a half years, he says he doesn’t feel that the application will change much.

Chuck Clements

BCIT News

Chuck Clements still wears a skull and cross bones belt from his “Rock’n Roll” days, as he calls them.

He got it in New York while touring as a drummer for a steal of a price, while touring with Bon Jovi and other big bands.

“I bought ten of them!” he said.

He took gigs when he could, didn’t party, and played like it was a typical nine to five job.

But, Clements said his percussion never was the same after a life changing car accident.

“It left me unable to work as a drummer,” he said.

Having settled in Vancouver for a while with a small income, and later in life a small pension, tragedy seemed to find its way to Clements once again.

He became homeless after his apartment caught fire from faulty wiring.

“I never thought that at 70 I would be homeless.” – Chuck Clements

“I tried shelters, but often it was just another way to be homeless every thirty days.”

Clements applied for social housing through BC Housing.

Like many other seniors on the Downtown Eastside, he was put on a waitlist.

And, that’s where he stayed for three and a half years.

“I don’t think they were trying too hard.” – Chuck Clements

He eventually did end up in modular housing due to a non-profit.

He’s locked in a tight space, crammed between his kitchen, bedroom and a crowd of others in the complex.

“It beats being on the street,” he said, and is pleased to have a place to stay.

He added that he’s still looking for a place that’s better, but hasn’t had luck yet.

Housing Minister’s statement on Senior Poverty and Housing

Amidst low vacancy rates, high rents, and after years of inaction, our government has made housing affordability for seniors a top priority. We want seniors to be able to stay in their own communities, even when they want to downsize – and that means we need to work together on affordable housing options in all B.C. communities.

Many communities have identified suitable and affordable homes for local seniors as a major gap in their local housing stock. We are working hard to address gaps in the market, and create homes that seniors can afford through our new Community Housing Fund and other new investments under our Building BC initiative.

The Community Housing Fund alone will inject more than 14,000 new affordable rental homes into the market for people in B.C. – including projects aimed at seniors. We are also working to address this through the Indigenous Housing Fund for low income seniors on and off reserve.

The Province’s rental assistance program for seniors has not kept up with rising rents in the private market. To address this, we have also recently expanded eligibility and increased rental assistance benefits to help low-income seniors afford their rent – close to 23,000 seniors will benefit, with the average senior seeing an increase of approximately 42% in their benefit. It came into effect in September and on average, eligible low-income seniors will receive an extra $930 per year.

Thank you,

Melanie Kilpatrick |Public Affairs Officer

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

BC Housing Statement on Seniors Assistance and Demovictions

The province, through the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) program provides direct cash assistance to eligible residents, who are aged 60 years or over, to assist them in meeting their monthly rent payment in the private market. Across B.C., approximately 23,200 senior households receive assistance through SAFER. In Metro Vancouver 30,226 households with seniors were assisted. As of September 30 2018, 1,026 seniors received SAFER in Burnaby.

Since September 1, 2018, low-income seniors who pay rent in the private market have received more help from the Province thanks to the increased benefits under the SAFER program. SAFER maximum rent ceilings in Vancouver and Burnaby are now $803 for a single tenant and $866 for a couple. For more information about SAFER, see the Housing Assistance page here: SAFER.

Seniors BC Housing support (all programs):

Total provincial housing support to seniors from BC Housing programs, including SAFER, as of September 30, 2018: 30,226 Metro Vancouver households with seniors were assisted.

Frail Seniors: Housing for seniors who need access to housing with on-going supports and services. Frail seniors are those who cannot live independently.

Low Income Seniors: Housing for seniors where minimal or no additional services are provided. Seniors are usually defined as individuals who are 65 years of age and older.

Rent Assistance Seniors: Housing subsidy to help make private market rents affordable for BC seniors with low to moderate incomes. Housing under this category include for Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) program as well as other rent supplement units in the private market targeted towards seniors.

The amount of seniors in B.C. on a waitlist for social housing has increased by 100% over the past seven years.

The cost of living in Metro Vancouver is higher than ever, and people are struggling to find homes that match their budget.

Cost is a factor for students and adults, but also for seniors.

Yet, seniors with fixed incomes (such as pensions), or financial barriers can have difficulty affording the inflated prices.

The 2018 B.C. Seniors’ Poverty Report Card shows that there are currently more seniors living in poverty in British Columbia than any other province in Canada. Over 8% of BC’s seniors have to deal with poverty and/or homelessness issues, while only 6% of other seniors across the country face the same reality.

In Burnaby, specifically the Metrotown area, many low-income rentals, largely populated by seniors have been bulldozed to make room for more expensive condos.

Some residents who have been living there for decades recieve an eviction notice and have to leave.

This loss of a home and then being unable to afford back in to the new units is called demovictions.

Social housing becomes a last resort for seniors, and the few places that do fall within the budget of many retired individuals have growing waitlists.

Moreover, they have no guarantee that a home will ever become available to them.

Because pensions have not risen significantly with the cost of inflation, those retiring in the upcoming years may rely heavily on savings and social assistance.

Roughly, seniors will represent 23 to 25 per cent of B.C.’s population by 2036. This increase can invoke further strain on the availability of affordable housing.

Burnaby, one of BC’s hardest hit cities for seniors poverty and demoviction

The city of Burnaby ranks as one of the top three highest levels of seniors’ poverty in British Columbia. Richmond and Surrey surpass it in disparity, though the city draws unique attention when reflecting on the housing crisis.

Burnaby’s development is rapidly expanding.

At its heart, Metrotown hosts large multi-million dollar lots that experience constant construction, which lay cement foundations for high-rise condos.

However, before development those lots contained hundreds of affordable apartment units, including seniors’ homes.

As the area evolves into a stronger economic hub, those lots become attractive investments for contractors. Several apartment building owners sold their property and consequently evicted the tenants.

After developers complete construction, many of the former tenants can’t afford the more expensive units.

Mike Hurley is the current Mayor of Burnaby and was born in Magherafelt, Northern Ireland in 1958. He was a semi-professional soccer player when he moved to Canada in 1983 and settled in Burnaby in 1988. From here he joined the Fire Department.

Moving up the ranks as his career spanned the decades, he served as President of the BC Provincial Fire Fighters Association from 2008 to 2016.

This October he ran for Mayor of Burnaby and defeated the long standing incumbent Derek Corrigan. He also ran on a platform of improving housing affordability and access in the city.

After nearly two months in office, Hurley is faced with carrying Burnaby’s housing crisis in a new direction.

According to Hurley, re-zoning and up-zoning are some of the biggest factors that lead to demovictions and renovictions.

He said that he’s looking out for residents and putting their needs first.

The current council consists of members of the Burnaby Citizens Association (BCA) and Hurley, as an independent, will also have to work with them to meet his goals.

Jean Swanson is a Vancouver City Councillor and activist pushing to end homelessness in the lower mainland.

During the city’s election this fall, Swanson spoke out for housing affordability and social programming. She stated her top priority was eliminating renovicitons and increasing the housing stock.

“At least for some of us who were elected, we’re trying to show that this isn’t a city hall for developers and just developers – it’s a city hall for everybody and that includes all of you” – Jean Swanson, Vancouver City Councillor

Stephen D’Souza is the executive director for Burnaby Community Services. Every day he sees how local residents, including seniors, live in poverty.

He discussed how severe the housing crisis has become for seniors that are left homeless, and that there are gaps in the systems to provide social housing.

Stephen also speaks about what causes developers to avoid senior tenants and how demovictions are being used to increase profits and raise housing costs in Burnaby.